


The Birthday Switch

by nineofcupsnpc, ruibin (angsthao)



Category: NINE PERCENT (Band), 偶像练习生 | Idol Producer (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 23:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17838035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineofcupsnpc/pseuds/nineofcupsnpc, https://archiveofourown.org/users/angsthao/pseuds/ruibin
Summary: Chen Linong, a believer of soulmates, can’t wait to meet one of his own the moment he turns eighteen years old. Cai Xukun, someone who strongly opposes the idea of it, tries his best to stay away from the birthday boy through his own schedules. Fate decides to switch things up and make Linong’s birthday a day for Xukun to remember.✧ ✧ ✧Prompt:#1: "When the younger of the soulmates turns 18, the soulmates switch bodies for 24 hours. It's customary for people to spend their 18th birthdays with close friends or family so people can find their soulmates easily.Enter Cai Xukun who turns 20 this year. He wasn't expecting to find his soulmate among his bandmates but it turns out he was wrong. Come October 3rd and his soul switch happens. Good thing Nongnong didn't have anything scheduled that day. We can't say the same for Kunkun though."





	The Birthday Switch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, thanks for giving my fic a shot! This is my first time joining a fic fest and I’m really nervous how my fics would turn out, but I hope you guys will like it! I really enjoyed writing this fic because it’s light hearted and also because of the thought of giving appreciation to other people. Nine Percent also appears here, btw! Anyway, I won’t make this long. Happy reading!

The sunlight beaming from the curtains hits Linong’s face, causing him to move in bed until he can’t sleep anymore and decides to wake up.

He checks his phone, which displays ‘08:02am October 3, 2018’ on screen. It’s his eighteenth birthday today, and he can’t help but smile and get excited to celebrate his birthday with his friends.

He fixes himself to look like a normal human being, then goes out of his room and heads for the kitchen. He sees Zhengting and Zhangjing, currently preparing their breakfast, and greets them a good morning. The two friends greet him back a happy birthday.

“Today's the big day,” Zhangjing cannot contain his excitement. “Are you ready to meet your soulmate?”

 _Soulmate_ , the reason why Linong smiled a few minutes ago. He can’t wait to meet his soulmate and spend time with them.

He didn’t believe the soulmate concept at first. He didn’t believe that some of his friends were soulmates either. _“Soulmate? Pft, that’s funny,”_ he once said when Zhangjing shared his story about it. _“There’s no way that soulmates exists!” “I’m telling you, soulmates exists! There’s a lot of us here who have soulmates within ourselves,”_ Zhangjing warns him. _“I have a feeling your soulmate is here too.” “There’s no way I’ll ever find my soulmate, I’m telling you!”_

That opinion changed once Maotong turned eighteen. He was celebrating his birthday with his Trainee18 (now Tangram) friends in Beijing when he blew his birthday candles and found himself back in the training rooms with Dachang. He was so lost with what’s going on that Mentor Jackson asked them to take a break. _“Wait, why am I here? I don’t understand!”_ Maotong asks Chengcheng. _“But Honglin, you should be here. Very very good team, right? We’re in this together!”_ Chengcheng insists. _“No! I’m Maotong! I should be celebrating my birthday in Beijing with the others!”_

 _“Oh, I’m assuming Honglin is your soulmate then. Happy eighteenth birthday, Maotong,”_ uncle Junyi greets him. Everyone inside the practice room gets confused. _“Ah right, soulmates exchange bodies for a day once the younger of the soulmates turns eighteen, as you can see with what happened to Maotong and Honglin,”_ he explains, hopefully giving everyone a clearer idea on what happened.

That made everyone freak out, but some trainees weren't surprised because they went through something similar.

And that's how Linong started believing that he has a soulmate somewhere out there.

“I'm nervous,” Linong answers Zhangjing's question. “But I am excited.”

“We love that! Do you have anyone in mind who you want to have a soulmate?” Zhengting asks, curious to who Linong thinks will be his soulmate

The first person that comes to his mind is his fellow member Xukun, Nine Percent’s center. He has adored him ever since Idol Producer started, he assumes the moment when Xukun stepped into the Initial Evaluation site. Xukun is his role model, and he wants to be someone like him who can inspire a lot of people through his stages.

But he doesn’t want to raise his hopes us. He knows how Xukun is busy with his schedules. Heck, he barely even comes back to the dormitory! Still, he wishes that Xukun would free some of his time to celebrate his birthday.

Instead of answering Zhengting's question, he smiles and diverts the topic. “So, where are the others?”

“Most of them are still sleeping,” Zhangjing answers him. “Except Xukun, he went out earlier today for a filming if I'm not mistaken.”

He smiles, but he feels a little bit of pain in his heart. _“You know he’s busy, why do you still hope he’ll spend time for you?”_ He reminds himself. So much for one of his birthday wishes: for everyone in their group to celebrate his birthday.

“Hey, what if nothing happens today? I mean, what if your soulmate is younger than you?” Zhengting asks.

Linong smiles. “Then it's still okay. I don't mind waiting a little longer for my soulmate.”

“That's the spirit!” Zhangjing cheers him up. “Come on, let's wake up the rest of the members and have breakfast!”

They all head upstairs and proceed to wake up the rest of their group.

So far, nothing is happening with Linong. He's still in his own body, safe and sound. He wonders when the switch will happen or if any switch will happen for the day. What matters more is he has another year for him to look forward to life.

* * *

 “Hey Xukun, you can go rest first at the waiting room. You'll film later at around noon, okay?”

Xukun nods at the producer who just talked to him. He currently watches Joshua and Vernon film their performance for ‘Rocket’ since he still has free time before he films for his song 'Wait Wait Wait’.

He decides to check his phone for any messages, some being related to work while others related to hanging out with some friends.

One message stands out: Linong’s. _“Xukun-ge, I heard you're filming for Idol Hits today. I'm quite sad that you're not here with me to spend my birthday, but I hope that your filming goes well! Let's hang out together when you're not busy, okay?”_

Xukun feels bad for being away from Linong (and also because Linong used a lot of crying emojis in his text), but he's also thankful that he has a schedule today.

If Linong and the rest of the members believe in soulmates, he’s the complete opposite. He thinks that soulmates are childish, that it doesn't exist even if his members are the living proof that they do. He thinks that people just find an excuse to have a perfect match with someone even if no one is perfect at all. It's just childish, stupid, and immature for him.

His schedule today makes it easier for him to avoid the birthday boy. It was hard for him to avoid Chengcheng during his eighteenth birthday because he had no schedule. He had to switch in between composing and resting, almost refusing to have dinner with the Fan family. He knew about the body switch that happened while they were still in the competition. In fact, he saw what happened to Honglin (or Maotong in Honglin’s body) since they were in the same training room. And ever since that day, he tried to avoid the birthday celebrants regardless if they were turning eighteen or not.

“Xukun bro, are you okay? We're done filming our performance a few minutes ago.”

Xukun looks at Joshua who seems concerned with him spacing out. The latter elbows Vernon to say something, which he asks Xukun if he wants to stay in the same waiting room. Xukun agrees, thinking that talking to someone else may distract him from thinking about the birthday boy and the soulmates concept he has been avoiding since the day started.

Once they go inside the waiting room, Joshua tosses a water bottle to Xukun and shares the food they have to him. They all sit on the couch and relax by scanning through their phones.

“Oh? It's your member’s eighteenth birthday today?” Vernon asks Xukun as he scans through Weibo and see birthday greetings for Linong.

“Yeah, it's his birthday,” Xukun confirms.

“Then you should be with him today!” Joshua excitedly tells him. “Today is a special day for him.”

“I would, but I'm here filming,” Xukun tells him. “I can't really cancel this schedule either, right?”

“Yeah,” Vernon agrees, “but you should go visit him after this! You need to see Linong’s soulmate, you know.”

“Besides, what if Linong is your soulmate? Wouldn't that be hard for the two of your since you guys are in different locations?” Joshua adds.

Xukun wants to throw up. “Not you too,” he says in disbelief. “Why does everyone think that soulmates are real? They’re not real! They’re just a figment of one’s imagination!”

Joshua and Vernon both look at each other in surprise then face Xukun. “Wait, you don't believe in soulmates?” Joshua asks almost scandalously.

“Look guys, there's no such thing as soulmates. It's only a social construct to say you have a partner in life,” Xukun insists.

Joshua chuckles. “Soulmates exists, bro. I have a soulmate. Vernon has a soulmate. We all have soulmates, Xukun.”

“I suppose you haven't seen your soulmate yet,” Vernon tells him. “Don't worry, there are different ways on how to know your soulmate.”

“Whatever that way is, I won't bother listening,” Xukun snaps. He turns away from the two and continues checking his phone (even if there's nothing to check actually).

Joshua knows Xukun isn't listening anymore but he still continues. “I found my soulmate through the white string of fate I had on my wrist during DK’s birthday. I followed that string until I found the other end at his wrist. It turned out that he is my soulmate.”

“There's another way I've experienced in finding my soulmate,” Vernon shares this time. “I found my soulmate during my birthday when I saw a picture of a sunset on my ankle and saw the exact same sunset on Seungkwan’s ankle. We got the memo that we were soulmates by then.”

“You're wasting your saliva,” Xukun tells them. “Look, I won't listen.”

“But you are! You wouldn’t bother telling us that if you weren't, right?” Joshua teases him. “Look, you have to know these things so you don’t freak out when Linong finds his soulmate. I get that you don’t believe it, but you have to be prepared once it happens to you. This next version of finding your soulmate is crazier than the previous ones.”

“Fine, I'll listen just this once,” Xukun complies in defeat.

“Great,” Joshua says. “We were celebrating Dino’s birthday as we usually do. He blew his birthday candles and Jeonghan suddenly freaked out, asking why he was in his own body. Dino also freaked out why he was holding the cake. They switched bodies, Xukun. They were each other’s soulmate. Thankfully we didn’t have any schedule or it’d be weird for the two to act differently on camera!”

Xukun sighs in defeat. “I know that body switch version. Someone eliminated from Idol Producer switched bodies with one of the remaining trainees while they were practicing. I’ve seen that version with my very own eyes, and that's the reason why I'm avoiding everyone during their birthdays.”

“See, you know that version already! But why don’t you believe it?”

“Like I said, I don't believe in soulmates,” Xukun started. “I would probably be fine if the first two versions happened to me, but switching bodies with my soulmate? That's crazy. I don't want my soulmate to stay in my body. My life is complicated, and I don't want my soulmate to suffer with everything I do. It's better this way so that the body switch won't happen.”

Vernon pats his shoulder. “Bro, I get that you're hesitating and that you don't believe in soulmates. We all went through that denial stage, but you have to accept that your soulmate exists no matter how hard it is for you. You'll eventually find your soulmate. And no matter how far you stay away from your soulmate, the body switch will still happen. It happened with your friends, I'm sure it'll happen to you too.”

 _“Wait, he’s right,”_ Xukun tells himself. _“Maotong was outside Dachang but he still switched with Honglin’s body. I’m dumb, why didn’t I realize that?”_ He sighs knowing that the possibility of being soulmates with Xukun is high, but he still sticks to his own belief.

“It’s not gonna happen,” Xukun tells them after dwelling on his own thoughts. “I’d rather not have a soulmate than go all through the different soulmate finder methods you told me.”

Joshua chuckles. “You’re a tough nut, huh. I’m pretty sure you’ll thank us soon.”

Xukun protests when the producer calls him, saying that he is the next person to film for his stage. He bids goodbye to the two boys and leaves their waiting room. It’s his time to shine right now, and having a soulmate must not get in the way.

* * *

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINONG!” The members greet Linong enthusiastically.

Linong laughs delightfully at the sight of his members greeting him. They’re still at home but the members have ordered food to celebrate Linong’s birthday. And to Linong’s surprise, the members themselves made his birthday cake. He’s thankful that nothing happened to their kitchen in the process of baking. The members feel the same too.

“Thank you, guys. This is a lot,” Linong says as he scans all the food prepared at the table. “I hope we can finish all of this.”

“Of course, we can! We have Zhangjing by our side,” Yanjun teases, making Zhangjing lightly hit him. “We all love to eat, right?”

“We’re missing one member though,” Linkai tells them. “We should save something for Xukun-ge.”

“He’s probably eating from the support his fans prepared for today,” Ziyi shares. “But you’re right, let’s save some for him.”

They all agree to Ziyi’s idea. Justin nudges Zhangjing to start singing a birthday song for Linong, which he does and everyone else follows. Linong also sings with them, laughing at how intentionally off-tune the rappers sing. He’s really happy and lucky to have eight (or seven at the moment) brothers he can celebrate his birthday with.

“Blow your candles, Linong!” Chengcheng cheers, pointing towards the birthday cake that was near Justin. “And don’t forget to make a wish!” He adds.

Linong closes his eyes and prays his wishes silently. After wishing, he opens his eyes and blows his candle. Smoke covers his sight which made him confused. When the smoke died down, he sees himself in front of a sea of golden banners, almost all of it having the 坤 sign.

He realizes that Xukun is performing ‘Wait Wait Wait’ live for the fans and he is already at the dance break. He internally panics knowing that Xukun wants everything to be perfect on his stage. Thankfully, he knows how the choreography goes since he catches Xukun dancing to it when they’re together.

He admits he doesn’t move like Xukun but he tries his best to exert the dance as flawless as he could. The fans continue to cheer for him, or Xukun rather, and that gives him peace of mind that he can finish the song without stressing too much.

He kneels down as the song ends. He’s glad to finish Xukun’s stage without mistakes or else it’ll be a mess. He continues to kneel, taking time to digest that Xukun is his soulmate. _“So this is how it feels to have a soulmate,”_ he tells himself. Different thoughts come to him at once. He’s happy knowing that Xukun is his soulmate, worried knowing Xukun doesn’t believe in the concept and also knowing he wants a perfect stage for his fans, curious how Xukun will live in his body, and sad that he has to take on Xukun’s schedule for the day no matter how much he wants to eat with the members at home.

He finally stands up before everyone wonders why he’s taking long. He’s still confused on how to greet Xukun’s fans but he goes for it and greets them short and sweet. Luckily, IKUNs don’t notice the change of words from Xukun (Linong rather) so that’s another situation successfully handled. After giving his message, he goes to the backstage.

Joshua and Vernon approach him. “Hey, nice stage earlier!” Joshua greets him then goes closer and whispers, “but you didn’t think we won’t notice, huh.”

“Wait, what?” Linong (in Xukun’s body) asks in confusion.

“The body switched happened,” Joshua tells him. “We noticed you slightly paused right at the dance break. We watched Xukun at rehearsals earlier and he didn’t pause there.”

“So happy birthday, Linong!” Vernon greets him. “We hope Xukun’s schedule won’t stress you.”

Linong sighs in relief. “I thought I was in big trouble, but thank you for the birthday wishes! Hopefully his fans don’t point it out once this episode airs.”

“They definitely won’t,” Joshua assures him. “What are you going to do next though? I mean you can’t just leave here. I heard Xukun still has some schedules after this.”

“Right…” Linong worries, thinking of ways on how to escape Xukun’s schedules if possible. “Do you think I’m doomed for the rest of the day?” He asks.

“Honestly, you handled Xukun’s performance pretty well,” Vernon shares. “It feels like you’ve adored for him for a long time to notice the little details he does. The greeting to his fans was a safe play, though I understand that you love your fans differently. All in all, I think you’ll be able to handle Xukun’s schedules well. Don’t stress it too much, okay?”

“Thank you. I wonder how the real Xukun is doing though.”

“We’re definitely curious too,” they say in unison. Joshua chuckles and says, “he’s a tough nut when it comes to soulmates. He really doesn’t believe in them, so I feel like he’d panic from where he is right now.”

“I agree. He’s definitely going to stress this day until you go back to your bodies,” Vernon adds.

“You’re right. I hope he’s with my members so they can calm him down.”

* * *

Xukun enjoys seeing his fans cheer for him. He only wants the best he can show to them so he really worked hard for his stage in Idol Hits. He refined the choreography for his song, planned out the stage from the props up to his costume, and strictly monitored rehearsals, making sure that everything is perfect.

The dance break in ‘Wait Wait Wait’ is the highlight of the performance and also Xukun’s favorite part in the song. He really wants to give his all so he spent days and nights crafting the dance break alone.

The song is getting closer to the dance break and he gets a little bit nervous hoping he won’t make any mistakes on stage. Smoke starts to fill the stage as part of the stage effects. Xukun closes his eyes then spins.

He opens his eyes, only finding himself in front of a birthday cake.

“Wait, my stage,” he slowly panics realizing he’s away from Idol Hits filming site. “My stage! I have to go back there! I have to perform there!”

“Linong, you don’t have any schedule today,” Linkai reminds him. “Are you okay?”

“I have to perform at Idol Hits today! No wait, I’m actually performing at the moment! I shouldn’t be here at all celebrating with you!”  Xukun (in Linong’s body) insists.

The rest of Nine Percent look at each other, smiles slowly appearing on their faces. Figuring out what happened, they only laugh at Xukun. He’s so confused at how the members are reacting. They should be panicking for him, right?

“Why are you all laughing?” Xukun furiously asks. “You know how I value the stage, right? You all witnessed how much I yearned the stage, you shouldn’t laugh at me like that.”

The members only guffawed. Chengcheng, Zhangjing, and Zhengting are on the floor laughing their hearts out. Linkai and Justin are slowly losing their breaths over laughing. Yanjun and Ziyi are also laughing heartily even though they’re the ones who don’t laugh often.

“I’m seriously mad guys,” Xukun tries to calm himself down. “Why are you all laughing at me? I’m not joking at all. I have to go back to Idol Hits filming site to perform, heck I don’t even know why I’m here! I have to film my performance again if it doesn’t go well! If I don’t go back now, my stage will be ruined!”

“It’s so funny to see Linong be mad,” Chengcheng admits, still laughing at the thought. “I didn’t expect Linong to be this furious being on Idol Hits.”

The rest of the members look at Chengcheng warily. “Why are you guys looking at me like that? You do know the situation right?”

Xukun (still in Linong’s body) comes closer to Chengcheng. “What situation are you saying? The only situation here is my Idol Hits stage being ruined!”

Chengcheng rolls his eyes. “You do realize you are in Linong’s body right? Congratulations, Xukun. You found your soulmate. Linong is your soulmate.”

The rest clap for him and teasingly congratulate him in finding his soulmate. They all know Xukun doesn’t believe in them but they can’t help tease him about it now that it’s actually happening to him.

Xukun, on the other hand, rushes to the nearest mirror and sees himself. He slowly caresses Linong’s face, then touches the rest of Linong’s body. He squints to see that Linong’s eyes squint in front of him. He says his name to hear Linong’s voice calling him.

Everything sinks in all at once.

“NOOO!!!” Xukun screams. “This can’t be happening! I can’t be in Linong’s body! He won’t be able to do my schedules! We have to switch back!”

“Xukun, calm down!” Zhengting shouts as he approaches Xukun who’s still mortified. “Freaking out won’t do anything, you know. You have to live in Linong’s body for 24 hours.”

“What about my schedules then, Zhengting?” Xukun distressly asks. “How would Linong act as me? They know I’m serious when I’m doing schedules alone! I really have to go out there.”

“Fellas, I think we need to tie Xukun to a chair before we can talk to him,” Chengcheng says without hesitation.

“This why I sometimes hate you,” Xukun spits out. “Fine, I’ll calm down. I have no choice, right?”

“Thank you for not making our lives harder,” Zhengting says. “Now let’s head back to the living room and talk.”

Xukun, feeling defeated at all costs, follows Zhengting to the living room heavily. Now that the body switch has happened, a lot of thoughts are coming into his mind. How will Linong handle his schedules? How will he continue his performance on Idol Hits? How will he speak to his fans? Linong can’t be overly sunshine and sweet to act like him!

“Okay,” Xukun says as soon as he sits down on the couch. “Give me reasons why I shouldn’t worry about Linong taking over my body for the rest of the day.”

“He likes you!” They all say in unison without knowing.

Xukun’s eyebrows crease a bit, not sure what the members meant with the word _like_. “C-care to explain what you guys mean by ‘like’?” He cautiously asks.

The members look at each other, figuring out that they might have used the wrong words to explain why Xukun shouldn’t be worried.

“Wait, no, it’s not what you think it is,” Chengcheng hurriedly clarifies. “It’s more of a role model thing, you know?”

“Yeah, that one,” Linkai agrees. “Among all of us, I think Linong looks up to you the most. He applauds your charisma on stage and your caring figure off stage. He wants to give his fans amazing stages like you always give to your IKUNs.”

“Do you notice how he always sticks to you during our practices?” Ziyi chimes in the conversation. “He always observes what you do, from leading us up to practicing the little details. I hope it doesn’t sound creepy but he actually knows the choreography to ‘Wait Wait Wait’ from watching you alone.”

“Wait, he does?” Xukun manages to asks despite being in shock with all the things he’s hearing.

“Do you want to call Linong and ask how he’s doing?” Zhengting asks.

Xukun nods and grabs Linong’s phone from his pocket. He then dials his own number, which Linong picked up pretty quickly.

 _“Hello?”_ Linong (in Xukun’s voice) answers. _“Is that you, Xukun?”_

“L-Linong?” Xukun nervously replies. “Wow, it’s so awkward hearing my name with my own voice.”

Linong chuckles. _“I’m sorry this happened to you… the soulmate thing. I’ll do my best to finish your schedules without any hassle.”_

“How’s my Idol Hits stage?” Xukun gets straight to the point. “We switched bodies right at the dance break of ‘Wait Wait Wait’, I’m sure you’re aware of that.”

_“Oh, that one. The switch was sudden but don’t worry. I was able to finish filming safely. Your fans didn’t notice the switch either, hopefully.”_

Xukun sighs in relief. “Thank goodness, the filming went on safely. Are you sure you’ll be able to handle my other schedules for the day? I can’t cancel the magazine photoshoot after Idol Hits, sorry. You can cancel my meeting with my DJ friend if you like, even the spa schedule.”

 _“It feels funny to hear you cancel your schedules easily,”_ Linong jokes. _“I’ll go call your DJ friend and move your meeting to tomorrow afternoon, if that’s okay. Let’s go to the spa together, okay? I mean, let’s spend some time together.”_

Xukun blushes without knowing. “O-okay, I’ll meet my DJ friend tomorrow. I’ll meet you at the photoshoot then let’s spend time together.”

 _“Great! I’ll tell your manager then. See you later,”_ Linong says and hangs up.

Xukun smiles for some reason. “I guess I could let Linong handle my photoshoot then,” he tells the members after keeping Linong’s phone. “He says he’ll cancel my meeting with my friend then we’ll go spa together.”

Yanjun pats him on the shoulder. “That’s great, soulmates need to spend time together too.”

“Do you mean that platonically… or romantically?” Xukun nervously asks.

Yanjun laughs. “Oh come on, who said soulmates need to be in a romantic relationship? Loosen up, bro! Don’t stress about having a soulmate.”

“I’ll try, it’s just that… I don’t know if I’m capable enough for a soulmate.”  Xukun shares. “I feel unworthy, you know?”

“You have Linong with you so you’re capable. Sometimes, soulmates kind of balance each other’s qualities. That might be a factor why Linong is meant for you.”

“I guess you’re right then. Thanks for some pep talk, bro.”

“No worries, just some experiences with Zhangjing! Now go head out and meet the birthday boy,” Yanjun says as he pushes Xukun into his room to prepare going out.

* * *

 “Xukun, are you ready for your photoshoot?”

Linong, still in Xukun’s body, faces Xukun’s manager after having a call with the real Xukun. He’s surprised that Xukun seems to be calm while talking to him. He guesses that Xukun’s with the members since they’re the last people he was with before the body switch.

Linong coolly nods, trying to act like Xukun himself. “Yeah, let’s head to the photoshoot soon. By the way, can we move my meeting with my friend later for tomorrow afternoon? I remember having no schedule by that time.”

Xukun’s manager scans his notebook to check. “Is three in the afternoon okay with you?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go call my friend then.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be the one to call and inform him. What’s with the short notice, though?”

If Linong is in his own body, he will joke to spend time with Xukun in private. But he is in Xukun’s body, and it will be so awkward for him to joke around Xukun’s staff. Thankfully, it’s his birthday so that will be a good excuse.

“The members miss me, I’m going to spend the day with Linong after,” Linong shyly smiles.

“Right, it’s his birthday. Do greet him for me!”

“He’ll come by the photoshoot later so you can greet him,” Linong chuckles, trying not to say _‘thank you’_ by accident. “Let’s head there now, then?”

“Yes, sure. The earlier, the better.”

Linong, along with Xukun’s staff, go out of the Idol Hits filming site and bid goodbye to Xukun’s fans, leaving a sweet message to take care of themselves when they head home. IKUNs are touched by the gesture, also telling him to take care as well. He feels that Xukun is lucky to have fans that remind him to take care of himself especially how Xukun is always busy not only with group album preparations but also with his own individual schedules.

They reach the photoshoot site after an hour on the road. The staffs inside greet Linong a good afternoon, which he smiles and greets back. The staffs are surprised to see Xukun smile because they hear that Xukun’s serious when it comes to photoshoots.

“You seem to be in a good mood today, Xukun,” the camera director tells Linong as he sets up the camera.

“I guess I really am,” Linong coolly replies back, making sure that the Xukun aura is still intact. “I can’t help but smile, really.”

“We’re glad,” the stylist chimes in as she starts putting makeup on Xukun’s face. “We’re going to have a fun time today.”

The makeup artists continue to apply eyeshadow on Linong’s - Xukun’s, rather - face and the stage directors continue to fix the lighting and the props to be used for the shoot. Xukun, still in  Linong’s body, arrives while Linong is picking his clothes for the shoot.

“Pick the leopard print top,” Xukun whispers to Linong. “I look hot in that.”

Linong chuckles. “You’re here, and you still have the guts to recommend me an outfit to wear.”

“Of course, you have to look like me,” Xukun reminds him. “You’re still in my body, remember? I can’t be bright and fluffy all of a sudden.”

Linong scratches Xukun’s neck. “You’re right, I forgot. Thanks for reminding.”

“Thank you too,” Xukun says back. “I mean, for going to my schedules in my body. I’m sorry I had to make you work on your day.”

Linong sighs. “Well, this is part of the switch. I’m really sorry you had to go through this.”

“Xukun, time to shoot!” The director shouts.

Linong smiles to Xukun and heads in front of the camera to look at Xukun’s face one last time. _“Linong, less smiles for the meantime,”_ he says to himself.

The photo shoot starts with the director telling Xukun (or Linong) to pose fiercely. Linong complies, trying his best not to smile in front of the camera. He gazes intently to the camera, slowly feeling the Xukun vibe more. He coolly poses a few more times, sometimes facing away from the camera.

Xukun watches all of this, and he can say that Linong actually does a great job in being him. His members are right, Linong does look up to him a lot. He knows the little details he does and he knows how serious he is when it comes to work.

But seeing Linong in his body makes it a little weird as well because he rarely sees Linong not smiling. For him, Linong radiates a bright energy that makes people feel a great day will come to them. Linong’s smile is one of his best traits, and not seeing it brings in a cold breeze.

Linong takes a break and drinks water. The makeup artist approaches him to retouch his blush on as well as his lipstick.

“Hey, you did well earlier,” Xukun says once the makeup artist leaves.

“I honestly felt more pressured with you watching,” Linong shares.

“But it’s you who’s physically watching, not me!”

“That’s the point! It’s so awkward to see me not smile!”

Xukun chuckles. “I’m sorry for not smiling often.”

Linong smiles. “No, it’s okay. It’s you who are. You don’t need to change if you’re uncomfortable.”

“Hey, Xukun,” the director approaches Linong. “I’ve seen you smile earlier and I personally think it’s cute. Can you smile later during the shoot?”

Linong delightfully laughs at Xukun’s director. “Of course I can! I’ll laugh like this later as well.”

“That’s great! I’ll see you in  a bit then.”

Xukun laughs as soon as the director left them. “It’s so nice to see me laugh.”

“I actually love your smile,” Linong says. “I hope you smile often once we switch back to our own bodies.”

Xukun nods. “You better get back there, I’ll wait for you by the sides.”

Linong goes back to the director and continues the shoot. This time, he smiles and laughs more. The staffs are delighted to see Xukun laugh, thanks to Linong smiling inside. They rarely see him smile, so they’re lucky to catch him be this happy while they’re working.

The shoot ends earlier so the director gives Linong time to check the photos they took earlier. Linong calls Xukun to check with him since he knows his angles better.

“Wow, I look good in this fierce look,” Xukun says as they look at the picture where Xukun’s eyes gazes directly at the camera. “This totally screams me.”

Linong continues to look for more of the pictures. “Did I do well with your cool vibes?”

“Well, you can’t beat me most definitely. I still applaud you for trying your best,” Xukun says. “Hey, I look great here,” he says as Linong checks the picture where he smiles at the camera.

“See, you look great when you smile,” Linong compliments him. “You should thank me for making you realize that!”

Xukun chuckles. “Now that the shoot is done, let’s go to the spa, shall we?”

Linong thanks the staff that took care of him (and Xukun) during the shoot. He also thanks them for taking amazing photos of Xukun and can’t wait for the post processed photos to come out soon.

After leaving the filming site, Linong tells Xukun’s driver to drop them off at the spa Xukun scheduled earlier. They don’t speak during the ride, probably because Linong is a bit tired from Xukun’s schedules earlier.

They get to the spa after being on the road for thirty minutes. Xukun assists Linong in talking with the frontdesk personnel, who doesn’t notice that they switched bodies. After arranging a few things, they finally change in the locker room and go to the pool.

Linong closes his eyes and submerges himself to the warm water. He feels that Xukun’s body needs a long and relaxing rest, so he feels thankful that Xukun scheduled himself to go to the spa even if it is his birthday.

Xukun, on the other hand, just looks at nowhere. He goes through everything that happened today, from his Idol Hits filming up to this moment. He remembers the soulmates concept, thinking about his first impression of it versus his current impression of it now. He realizes that his impression changed, but the whole thing still feels surreal to him, as if it is something that only happens in another universe.

“Are you okay?” Linong asks him once he sits properly again. “You seem to be thinking a lot. My forehead is creasing!”

Xukun shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”

“My forehead doesn’t crease at nothing. Tell me, what do you think of today?”

Xukun smiles then looks back at the calm water. “I think I know the reason why you guys believe in soulmates.”

“Why do you think we believe in soulmates?”

“Soulmates… it’s a fascinating concept. It’s weird when you first hear about it. Heck, you guys know how much I despised the concept, right? It was unbelievable for souls to switch bodies, like how does that happen? I’m sure you guys have no idea how the switch happens either… or how the heavens choose who our soulmates are. But for some reason a lot hold on to the concept of it, a lot hoping that they’ll meet their soulmate out there. I think that people believe in soulmates because soulmates complement each other. It’s like a mix and match thing where you soulmate’s jigsaw pieces fit your own.

“I talked with Yanjun earlier and he told me that soulmates balance each other’s qualities. I think I agree with him, but other than that I feel that meeting your soulmate makes you appreciate things you never really gave appreciation before. I felt that when you took on my schedules. I appreciated how you were kind to the staffs earlier, how you were smiling brightly even if I rarely smile. I never found my smile to be beautiful until you posed for the shoot earlier. How I wish I was able to watch you during my Idol Hits filming earlier but I’m sure you were able to finish my performance successfully. I’ll definitely watch out for the episode once it airs and see how well you did on stage.”

Linong smiles at everything Xukun said. “Wow, it’s amazing to know you feel the same way I do.”

“Why?”

“Remember Maotong and Honglin’s situation before?” Linong asks. “I believe you were staying away once the switched happened but once the Very Good Team went back to practice, Maotong realized how hardworking Honglin was to fight for Trainee18 until the end of Idol Producer. You know how he sets low standards for himself, right? He saw how his teammates raised their standards in order to deliver something better to the Citizen Producers and adapted to their standards. I’ve heard from Chaoze how he’s a bit more serious now when it’s comes to practicing. I haven’t heard a lot from Honglin, but his friends say that he relaxes a little more now and enjoys his youth.

“That’s when I felt I wanted to meet my own soulmate as well. I wanted to spend time with him and know him more. I wanted to get to know his life more and how he lives it, and from there I might be able to appreciate the hardships my soulmate faces. I might be able to appreciate more how my soulmate is an amazing person in his own way.”

“So you mean to tell me, you appreciated me more when we switched bodies?” Xukun asks amusingly. “I heard from the members you looked up to me a lot.”

Linong blushes. “Well, they’re not wrong. You’re the most established trainee when we started Idol Producer. You had the stage appeal and you even composed your piece for Initial Evaluation! Everyone went gaga for you, even the mentors! I guess that’s when I started looking up to you. I wanted to have more confidence you like you.”

“But you were doing amazing during your Initial Evaluation!”

“I don’t know how I actually got an A back then, but thank you for the compliment,” Linong says. “Anyway, I did appreciate you more once we switched bodies. You were always working hard, but I felt so much more once I was in your own shoes. You wanted only the best not only for your fans but also for yourself. You wanted to exceed your own expectations. You wanted to be the best version of yourself through the things you do. You do all of these numerous schedules for your own dreams, and for that I salute you.”

Xukun hugs Linong (or at least his body) without hesitation. He rarely hears someone compliment him for working hard for his own dreams. Heck, he isn’t even sure if someone complimented him for the things he does. A lot of people compliment him for they what see on the stage but they never really gave compliments on how much he works backstage.

“Hearing these things from you, I think I know why you’re my soulmate,” Xukun whispers. “You’re a really warm hearted person who makes me feel that my efforts are paying off. You’re a ball of sunshine who makes me smile when you do. I guess you’re someone that can balance the seriousness I have in me. I’m glad this day happened to the both of us.”

“Xukun-ge, you’re my friend. I treasure you a lot. I want to make you feel loved and that your efforts are always paying off. You work harder than we all do. You deserved to be appreciated because of your efforts, okay?” Linong assures him. “You’re the best older brother I can ever ask for.”

Xukun snuggles himself more into Linong even if his own chest is smaller than Linong’s. He feels so loved with all the words Linong has said to him today and he doesn’t think he can trade this day to any other day.

After snuggling for what seems to be five minutes, Linong stops embracing Xukun and submerges himself into the water again.

“You seem to be enjoying my spa schedule, huh,” Xukun says as he looks at Linong resting.

“You’re body deserves it, you’ve been tired recently,” Linong replies when he raises his head to answer him. “You should rest your mind too.”

Xukun chuckles. “I will, but I remembered something.”

“What is it?”

“Happy birthday, Linong. I haven’t greeted your properly the whole day.”

Linong chuckles. “Thank you, Xukun. I’ll remember this birthday for a long time.”

* * *

 “What time are they coming home? I’m close to finishing their food already!” Justin says as he reaches for another slice of pizza. Zhengting swats his hand away and reprimands him.

It’s eight in the evening already but Xukun and Linong have yet to come home. The members have no idea how they are doing since Xukun left, and to kill boredom they decided to place bets on what happened to the two of them. Chengcheng, Justin, and Linkai bet that Xukun and Linong will be in chaos. Zhangjing, Zhengting, and Yanjun bet that Xukun and Linong had a great time together. Ziyi didn’t bet on anything just because he doesn’t feel placing bets on something sacred.

“Wait! They’re coming home,” Zhangjing says while reading his phone. “Xukun just texted me.”

“Finally! We can celebrate Linong’s birthday properly now,” Justin says.

The members start setting up the remaining food again, not forgetting to light up the remaining birthday cake for Linong.

“Are we really lighting up the cake again? Linong blew his cake earlier,” Yanjun asked.

“But Xukun is with us now, and Linong wants to celebrate his birthday with all of us,” Zhengting answered.

They finish setting up when the two they are waiting for finally arrives at their dormitory. They greet Linong once again and ask Xukun how the day went. Xukun only smiles, keeping how he feels about the days to Linong and himself. He feels that every soulmate story is different and he wants to keep his own story to the two of them.

“Okay, Linong! Blow you candle!” Zhengting says as he approaches Linong’s body. “No wait, I should let Xukun’s body blow the cake!”

“No, no, no, let Xukun blow the cake.” Linong suggests.

“Fine. Okay Xukun, make your wish then,” Zhengting says as he places the cake in front of him. Xukun makes a wish, hoping that he could spend time not only with Linong but also with the rest of his members. He also wishes that the group could release an album soon since fans have been waiting for so long now.

He closes his eyes and blows the candle. He opens his eyes after and soon notice he can see Linong again. “Wait, I think I’m back to my body,” Xukun says while feeling his own features.

Linong starts to feel himself too. “Y-you’re right. The body switch is over. That was quicker than I expected.”

They look at each other and hug. The members cheer them for being back in their own bodies. Zhangjing, Zhengting, and Yanjun jokingly ask Chengcheng, Justin, and Linkai for money since they won the bet. The latter group protests as the two didn’t tell them what happened but the former group retaliate that actions speak louder than words.

Xukun and Linong just smile at all the chaos.

“I can’t believe they placed bets on us,” Linong expressed his shock.

“But those bets can’t replace what we did earlier, right?”

Linong smiles and nods. Xukun is right, nothing can replace what happened during the body switch. It’s a birthday he’ll never forget.


End file.
